Have you ever noticed the colorful graffiti art on the walls, bridges and tunnels of Paris?

Or wondered who made them or what is the story behind these murals or tags?

Make a detour from the more typical tourist’s destinations! Explore urban street art in Paris! Background is the name of a project which organizes tours of amazing graffiti in Paris. This innovative tour run by  locals and professionals of the trade will guide you through the world of graffiti, its history, techniques, codes, stories  and culture. Be it graffiti on trucks in the 11th arrondissement, Murals and frescos in the 13th or the 19th high rises in the 20th you will discover the “background” of the city in a new light. Be prepared for an immersion in local color!

The tours, which take ten people at a time, last about three hours, and are divided up into two parts. Part one tours the  main neighborhoods where graffiti  can be found, outlining the ideas and lifestyle of the artists. The second part is a one on one hands on encounter with a graffiti artist at work.   The tours can be reserved in advance directly on their web site.

Even their colorful well-designed web site is worth a virtual detour: www.background.paris